Learn the reason behind the move
Blackjack strategy.
Make the next move clear.
Learn the decision, understand the rules behind it and practice without placing a bet. Start with your hand and the dealer’s upcard.
Rules first. Always.
A clear answer includes its assumptions.
Hit or stand?
Your starting hand
Dealer
Basic-strategy decision
Hit
Hard 16 hits against 10 when surrender is unavailable.
Three ways to start
Blackjack hit or stand: check the whole decision
Enter your two starting cards and the dealer’s visible card. The answer may be hit or stand, but it can also be double, split or surrender when the rules allow it. An answer that ignores those options can miss the better basic-strategy action. The result below always identifies the rule set.
What basic strategy does
Basic strategy chooses an action for a hand and dealer upcard under a stated set of rules. It is designed around expected return across repeated comparable situations. It does not predict the next card or guarantee a win. Our reference covers conventional four- to eight-deck games with a dealer peek.
Multi-deck strategy analysis ↗Match the table before the chart
Check whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, whether you can double after splitting and whether late surrender is offered. The tool lets you change these three rules. Single-deck, double-deck, no-hole-card and special variants need other verified charts. A familiar name alone is not enough to choose one.
Rule-dependent strategy reference ↗A clear way to learn
Start with hard totals, then learn soft hands and pairs. Use the chart to see the pattern across dealer upcards. Next, try the short practice set and read the explanation after each answer. Practice accuracy is a learning measure, not a forecast of money won.
Better decisions
Know the rules
before the move.
A strategy chart is only useful if it belongs to the game you are learning.
Read the blackjack rules →Go deeper, one decision at a time
Hard hands, soft hands and aces
Explore the guide 02When to double down in blackjack
Explore the guide 03When to split pairs
Explore the guide 04Blackjack surrender explained
Explore the guide 05What is insurance in blackjack?
Explore the guide 06Blackjack odds and house edge
Explore the guide 07Blackjack betting systems and their limits
Explore the guide 08Card counting and basic strategy
Explore the guide 09Deck count and blackjack strategy
Explore the guide 10Online blackjack strategy and game rules
Explore the guide 11Why blackjack variants need different charts
Explore the guide 12Blackjack side bets are separate bets
Explore the guide 13Blackjack table etiquette and hand signals
Explore the guideQuestions about blackjack strategy
It depends on the dealer upcard, pair status and surrender rule. In the default S17/no-surrender chart, hard 16 stands against 2–6 and hits against 7–A. A pair of eights uses the pair decision.
No. It chooses an action under stated assumptions. The next card and the hand result remain uncertain.
No. It covers the stated conventional multi-deck peek rules. Single-deck, no-hole-card and special variants need another verified reference.